Damper control



March 1, I949. PAR-SONS 2,463,494

I DAMPER CONTROL Filed s'e tfm, 1944 To SPACE o BFHEA 7'50 INVEN TOR.

electro-magnetic devices l and 8.

Patented Mar; 1, 1949 UNITED STATES FA'EENT @FFICE DAMPER CGNTRQL Robert J. Parsons, Schenectady, N. Y., assignor to Consolidated Car-Heating Company, Inc., Albany, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application September 14, 1944, Serial No. 554,124

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to dampers.

A principal object of this invention is the provision of devices and arrangements for moving a damper to a plurality of positions by means of extreme simplicity.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the description of the particular physical embodiment selected to illustrate the invention progresses and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In describing the particular physical embodiment selected to illustrate the invention, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings, and the several views thereon, in which like characters of reference designate like parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Fig. l is a schematic or diagrammatic view illustrating a damper and a device of my invention for operating the damper; Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are diagrammatic views illustrating the position of the operating parts of the device as shown by Fig. 1 when the damper has been moved to various positions; Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view illustrating another arrangement of damper operating mechanism; Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic View illustrating a still further arrangement of damper operating means.

I designates a duct connected to a source of heated fluid, such as air, the other end 2 of the duct leads to aspace to be heated. In the space to be heated is positioned a thermostatic device '1. In accordance with the requirements, the damper 3 is operated to form no obstruction whatsoever in the conduit i so that the entire volume of heated fluid therein may pass to the space to be heated, that is, the damper 1-3 will be placed in the open position or it may be operated to partially or completely uncover the opening l in the duct i so as to allow aportion of the heated air to flow to atmosphere through the opening '4, or allow all of it to flow through the opening l, that is, be placed in the full closed position.

The damper 3 is shown as a pivoted damper, pivoted at the point 5. The damper is held normally in the closed position, which I will call the biased position, forany suitable means such as a spring ii.

For operating the damper I have provided two These electromagnetic devices may be of any suitable or appropriate form. I prefer solenoids with a movable coretherein. The movable cores are connected, one to one end of a floating lever and the other to the other end ofthefioating lever, that ais,":electro-magnetic device 1 :is connected by a link 9 and electro-magnetic device 8 by a link it to the ends of the floating lever H.

The floating lever H is connected by the link it to the damper 3. In Fig. 1, I have shown this link as connected to floating lever II at a point along its length away from the longitudinal center of the floating lever.

If electro-magnetic device I is energized itwill pull down on the floating lever II and the link E2 and bring the damper 3 to the position as shown in Fig. 2. If electro-magnetic device 3 is energized it will pull down upon the floating lever H and the link I2 and move the damper to the position as shown in Fig. 3. If both electromagnetic devices 1 and 8 are energized simultaneously, then the floating lever II will be drawn down to the position as shown in Fig. 1 and the damper 3 will be in the full open position closing the opening or orifice 4 in the duct I. If the electro-magnetic devices I and 8 are deenergized, then the damper 3 will be in the full closed position as shown in Fig. 4.

In Fig. 5 I have shown the duct l', the damper 3, floating lever H and the link I2 connected to electro-magnetic devices I and 8, but link i2 is connected at the mid position or longitudinal center of the floating lever'll so that whether electro-magnet l or electro-magnet 8 is energized as by operating hand switches as l3 and M, the damper 3 will be moved to a mid position shown in dotted lines and designated I5. If both electro-magnetic devices 7 and 8 are energized, the damper will be drawn to the position it as shown in Fig. 5. If neither is energized the damper will be in the full line position or closed position as shown in Fig. 5.

In Fig. 6 I have illustrated the duct l, damper 3, the link l2, floating lever H and electro-magnetic devices H and iii. The electro-magnetic device 'i'! has a smaller stroke when energized than does electro-magnetic device l8, that is, movable core [9 moves a shorter distance, before contacting fixed core 2 I.

If, in the device, as shown in Fig. 6, electromagnetic device ii is energized by means of the hand switch it, the damper 3 will be moved to the dotted line position designated 22, but if the eleetro-magnetic device H is deenergized and electro-magnetic device I8 is energized, then the damper 3 will be moved to the dotted line position designated 23 in Fig. 6. If both electro-magnetic devices i! and iii are energized simultaneously then damper 3-will be drawn to the dotted line position designated 24 in Fig. If the electromagnetic devices I! and i8 are'deenergized, then the damper will be in the full line position in Fig. 6, that is, in the full closed position.

The gist of the invention includes the positioning of the link I 2 as regards the longitudinal center of the floating lever H and also the use of electro-magnetic devices having either the same or difiering strokes when energized. I have shown several arrangements, some involving of!- center connection to the floating lever and some involving relatively diiierent strokes in the electro-magnetic device, but it is to be understood, of course, that I may combine these in various ways, to, in any case, fully realize the efiectiveness of the underlying principles of the invention.

In Fig. 1, I have also shown a desirable means for controlling the electro-magnetic devices 1 and 8. In this figure I have shown a thermostatic device T which may be considered as an evacuated, elongated tube 25 with an enlarged lower end 26 filled with any thermal expansible liquid, such as mercury 21. Through the wall of the tube I have projected electrical conductors as 28, 29, 3E] and 3|. These electrical conductors may be positioned as desired and in such number as desired. In the particular form illustrated in Fig. 1, one of the conductors, 2B, is connected to the positive terminal of a source of potential and conductors 29, 3!! and 3! are positioned at such places along the elongated tube 25 that the mercury 21 in the tube will reach the respective conductors when the temperature in the space in which the thermostat is positioned reaches the temperatures of 60, 63 and 66 respectively.

As it is objectionable to break any considerable quantity of current by means of a conductor and a moving mercury column, I have provided relays as 32, 33 and 34 which will operate on a smaller current flow than it is desirable to use to operate my electro-magnetic devices 1 and 8.

When the temperature in the space to be heated in which the thermostat T is positioned is lower than 60 the parts will all be in the position as shown in Fig. 1, that is, the damper 3 will be in the fully open position and all of the heated fluid supplied to duct I will flow to the space to be heated. This is as it should be because if the temperature is as low as 60 or lower the space should be supplied with heated air. Under such conditions both electro-magnetic devices 1 and ii are energized.

If the temperature in the space to be heated rises to 60 then the mercury 21 in tube 25 reaches the conductor 29 in tube 25. When this occurs, a circuit is formed as follows: positive terminal of a source of potential, conductor 28, mercury 21, conductor 29, armature 35 in the lower or deenergized position, conductor 36, relay 3d, and to the negative terminal of the source of potential or ground 31. Current flowing in the above traced path will energize the relay 34 and raise its armature 38, thus breaking contact with conductor 39, so that electro-magnetic device 8 will be deenergized and floating lever II will move to the position as shown in Fig. 2 whereby a small portion only of the heated air would be diverted from the space to be heated.

If the temperature in the Space to be heated rises still higher the mercury 21 will contact conductor 30 and then a circuit will be formed as follows: positive terminal of a source of potential, conductor 28, mercury 21, conductor 39, armature 40 in the lower or deenergized position, conductor 4|, relay 33, and to the negative side of the source of potential or ground 42. Current flowing in the above traced path will raise armature 43 and so disconnect it from conductor 44 and so deenergize electro-magnetic device 1, but when armature E3 is raised armature 35 is also raised so that the circuit through relay 34 is broken and so relay armature 38 drops to the lower or deenergized position as shown in Fig. 1, so that electro-magnetic device 8 is energized and the damper 3 will occupy the position as shown in Fig. 3.

If the temperature in the space to be heated rises still higher, then the mercury 21 will contact conductor 35 and then a circuit will be formed as follows: positive terminal of a source of potential, conductor 28, mercury 21, conductor 3|, relay 32 and to the negative terminal of the source of potential or ground 45. Current flowing in the above traced path will energize relay 32 and so cause armature ll to be raised breaking contact with conductor &8 thereby deenergizing electromagnet 8 and also electro-magnet 1 so that both the electro-magnetic devices 1 and 8 being deencrgized the damper 3 will move to the full closed position as shown in Fig. 4 cutting ofi the supply of heated fluid to the space to be heated.

Both electro-magnetic devices 1 and 8 are energized through armature 41 when in the deenergized position. The circuit for electro-magnetic device 1 is as follows: positive terminal of a source of potential, relay armature ll, conductor 48, relay armature 43 in the deenergized position, conductor 15i, electro-magnetic device 1 and to the negative terminal of the source of potential or ground 49. Circuit of electro-magnetic device 8 is as follows: positive terminal of a source of potential, relay armature 61 in the deenergized position, conductors 48 and 5B, relay armature 33 in the deenergized position, conductor 39, electro magnetic device 8 and to the negative terminal or source of potential or ground 51.

Just so long as the temperature in the space to be heated remains at 66 or higher, relay 32 will be energized and electro-magnetic devices 1 and 3 will be deenergized and damper 3 will be in the full closed position. When the mercury 21 drops below conductor 3i, relay 32 will become deenergized, but if the mercury is between the 63 and the 66 points, the relay 33 will become ener gized. When relay 33 is energized both armatures 43 and 35 are raised and when 35 is raised relay M is deenergized and armature 38 is raised. The net result is that under the conditions, that is with the mercury standing between the 63 and the 66 points, relay 32 will be cleenergized, relay 33 will be energized and relay 34 will be deenergized, so that electro-magnetic device 8 will be energized and the damper 3 will be moved to the position as shown in Fig. 3.

When the mercury 21 drops below the 63 point but stills remains above the 60 point, relay 33 will become deenergized as the circuit will be broken between the conductor 36 and the mercury 21, but the circuit between the mercury 21 and the conductor 29 will be closed and, as relay 33 is deenergized, armature 35 will be in the deenergized position and consequently relay 34 will be energized. When relay 34 is energized armature 38 will be raised and consequently electro-magnetic device 8 will be deenergized. At the same time, however, electro-magnetic device 1 will be energized because relays 32 and 33 are deenergized. and armature 43 is in its deenergized position, so that the damper will then be in the position as shown in Fig. 2.

When the mercury then drops to below the 60 point, the parts will then assume the position as -5 shown in Fig. 1, that is; with the damper fully opened, closing the orifice or outlet 4 completely.

From the hereinbefore given description it will now be apparent that I have not only provided a novel means of directly operating the damper, but I have also provided asimple and effective arrangement of circuits, thermostat and relays for causing the damper to assume positions which are desirable in view of the temperature of the space to be heated.

Although I have described my construction and arrangement as having a damper which is directly connected and operated by motive power supplied directly by electro-magnetic devices 'such as I and 8, nevertheless, I desire to have itunderstood that by such showing I do not mean to exclude the use of electro-magnetic devices I and 8 as the controlling means for any motive power'such as pneumatic, hydraulic, or electric as it is well understood in the art that an electro-ma gnetic device may itself furnish motive power for moving another device or may serve as a controlling means to motivate another motive power device for actually furnishing the power for movement.

Although I have particularly described one particular physical embodiment of my invention and modifications thereof, nevertheless, I desire to have it understood that the forms selected are merely illustrative, but do not exhaust the possible physical embodiments of the idea of means underlying my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

A damper device, including, in combination: two electi e-magnetic devices; two relays, one directly controlling one of the electro-magnetic devices and the other directly controlling the other electro-magnetic device; a third relay, said third relay controlling each of the electro-magnetic devices and also controlling one of the first mentioned relays and the relaysqcontrolling in turn controlling the other of thefirst mentioned relays; a source of potential; armatures controlled by the several relays; and connections between the source of potential iand the thermostatic device and the several relays whereby when the thermostatic device is exposed to loweri than a minimum predetermined temperature bothg'gof the electromagnetic devices ar energizeiwhen the exposure is to the minimuni predetermined temperature one of the electro-inagnetic dev'e es is deenergized and the other electroa'nagneti device is deenergized, and when the exposure to a predetermined temperature iin'termedi te the minimum predetermined temprature ancl determined temperature -J th magnetic device is energized d the said other deenergized, and whep'ftheiyexptisure is to a maximum predetermined temperature then both of the electro-magnetic devices are deenergized, and a damper controlling a -flovlbf heated fluid to the space in which the thermostatic device is positioned controlled by said electromagnetic devices.

h Rona fr J. PARSONS. nnrnninNonsgorrnn The following references are oi record in the a maximum pre- 

